Australian Recipe

Pavlova

4 egg whites

1 cup superfine2 sugar (granulated)

1 tablespoon corn flour (cornstarch3)

half pint4 whipped cream5 (one cup)

strawberries or your choice of fruit such as passion fruit6, kiwi fruit...

Place egg whites in a clean glass bowl. Beat slowly until frothy7, then increase the speed and beat until stiff8. Gradually9 add the sugar, beating well after each addition. (When all the sugar has been added, the mixture should be shiny, very stiff, and should stand in peaks.) Gently fold in10 the corn flour with a metal spoon. Line a cookie sheet11 with brown paper12 and grease13 it lightly. Pile the meringue14 mixture on it. Slow-bake the mixture at 150°C to dry all the moisture15 and create the meringue, approximately 45 minutes. This leaves the outside of the pav16 a crisp17 crunchy18 shell, while the interior remains soft and moist. When cooked, turn off the oven and leave the door open to let the pav cool on the oven shelf – this helps to prevent the middle of the pav from collapsing19 (although if it does collapse, generous20 application of cream hides any mistakes).
When cold, peel off the paper and transfer to a serving platter21. Slice the strawberries in half and roll in icing sugar22, and refrigerate. Cover top of the pav with whipped cream about 1 hour before serving.

N.B. Turn the pav upside down before decorating with cream and fruit because the bottom is less crispy than the top after cooking and, unless you serve it immediately after decorating, the “top” absorbs23 moisture from the cream.